Joe Daniher (back row, far left) with some of his Lions teammates after winning the 2024 Grand Final. Picture: AFL Photos

THE DECISION from star forward Joe Daniher to walk away from the last year of his contract with Brisbane has ensured the historic streak of no premiership team playing together again at VFL/AFL level will continue.

Daniher is likely to be the only member of the Lions' 2024 premiership team to leave the club this off-season, but his shock early retirement has ended any chance of Brisbane fielding the same 23 next season.

Hawthorn forward Jack Ginnivan continued the streak last season when he left Collingwood after becoming a premiership player, while Joel Selwood's retirement after the 2022 flag prevented that Cats group from ever reforming.

It is one of the competition's more unlikely streaks, which continues each year because of injury, retirement and players moving clubs.

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History says the Lions would have been unlikely to field their flag-winning 23 again in the same game, even if Daniher had continued his 204-game career, but the 30-year-old's decision on Thursday has made it impossible.

The absence of No.1 ruckman Oscar McInerney in the Grand Final because of a shoulder injury is another factor that could have prevented the Lions from breaking the streak, given he will return as a key player next season.

Darcy Fort was instead selected in the Grand Final 23 but would be likely to resume his role as McInerney's back-up, despite an excellent performance in the Grand Final.

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Change is also guaranteed at the Lions through the addition of looming father-son draftee Levi Ashcroft and the returns of Keidean Coleman, Lincoln McCarthy, Darcy Gardiner and Tom Doedee from knee reconstructions.

Ginnivan aside, Collingwood would have been stopped from fielding its 2023 premiership team again following the retirement of defender Nathan Murphy on the advice of the AFL's medical concussion panel.

Premiership midfielder Tom Mitchell then spent most of the season on the sidelines due to injury.

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Geelong underwent significant change in 2023, with Max Holmes, Oliver Henry, Esava Ratugolea, Tanner Bruhn and Jack Bowes playing large parts of the season after missing out on the 2022 premiership.

Melbourne came close in 2022, fielding 21 of its 23 premiership players from the previous season against St Kilda in round eight

Richmond's 2020 premiership team had the chance to play together in 2021 but didn't, with the retirements of David Astbury and Bachar Houli later ending their chances of doing so.

Bachar Houli in action during the 2020 Grand Final between Richmond and Geelong. Picture: AFL Photos

The Tigers' 2019 team never had the chance after dual premiership wingman Brandon Ellis moved to Gold Coast, while Richmond's 2017 Grand Final team all remained the following season but never re-formed.

West Coast's 2018 premiership team never had the chance to play together again after the departures of retired star Mark LeCras and traded ruckman Scott Lycett, who joined Port Adelaide.

The Western Bulldogs lost key defender Joel Hamling to Fremantle after their 2016 triumph, while none of Hawthorn's three premiership teams from 2013-15 managed the feat.